


Honor: An Analysis of Kazuma Kuwabara's Honor Code

by Once a Bard (bossyluigi)



Category: YuYu Hakusho, 幽☆遊☆白書 | YuYu Hakusho: Ghost Files
Genre: Also-- there's a significant lack of love for Kazuma Kuwabara, I am afraid yet proud of my accomplishments, I did a lot of research, I wrote this a few years ago, It's my magnum opus, and yes this is a callout, please enjoy, send tweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:40:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27646955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bossyluigi/pseuds/Once%20a%20Bard
Summary: What is Kazuma Kuwabara's Honor Code exactly? It's something mentioned in both the manga as well as the anime and only serves to highlight a few of the morals he follows throughout the series. I've put in the work and done the research, taking the original references for Kuwabara's Honor Code and written up a full analysis of what's influenced its creation.Is this a fic? No.Is it a drabble? No.Is it a mistake? I'd like to think not, but it sure was the weirdest rabbit hole I've ever fallen into.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Honor: An Analysis of Kazuma Kuwabara's Honor Code

I’m going to start by saying that after looking through a lot of what Kuwabara considers his honor code, or at least, the hints to what he includes (stand up for your fellow brothers, don’t fight women, fight for your beliefs even if it means death) it leads me to believe that his honor code is heavily influenced on the Code of the Bushido as well as some of the more notable rules in the Yakuza Code of Ethics or "Jingi". 

As far as the Yakuza Code of Ethics: Jingi is concerned, these would be the rules that Kuwabara would bestow on his fellow gang and, subconsciously, on those in Team Urameshi. Of course, I mainly mean that in the sense of standards that Kuwabara holds for those around him and those that he gets involved with. The codes and ethics that others hold themselves to must match or level with his in order for Kuwabara to value the words and actions of someone else in a manner of speaking.

The Jingi is shorter than the lengthy and more detailed bushido code, but they basically employ these main concepts: 

1.) **_Treat the head of the family with respect_**.

> Because Kuwabara runs a small collection of close friends that double as a street gang, it’s been altered to treat each other with respect. if his fellow friends treat him with respect, then he can respect them. 

2.) _**Don’t steal from the everyday man**_.

> Thievery and criminal activity aren’t things that Kuwabara wishes anyone to engage in. In his case, involving the innocent bystander in something that’s between his own group and groups from other schools goes against how they should act. What originates between gangs stays between them. 

3.) **_Don’t disrupt the harmony of the gang or touch the partner of a fellow member_**.

> You can see this a lot in the way Kuwabara interacts and treats Yusuke, especially throughout the series. This can be translated to any and all altercations within his group of friends and Kuwabara’s desire to keep things resolved and running smoothly at all times, Of course, his back-and-forths with Hiei can be argued. Despite being violent in nature, they don’t detract from the fact that Kuwabara respects Hiei to a pretty high extent. Will he ever admit that? Hell no.
> 
> The second half is very clear in regards to Yusuke and his relationship with Keiko. It makes the idea of Kuwabara being left behind with Keiko during Yusuke’s time with the Makai so much more difficult when feelings and emotions come into play, mainly as a hypothetical but still possible. Since Yusuke and Keiko have more history and a more profound bond to one another, it makes sense that Kuwabara would keep his distance and be respectful and supportive. He understands that their consideration for each other is something that would be dishonorable to disrupt. 

4.) **_Never involve yourself with drugs_**.

> Self explanatory. 

5.) **_Always be chivalrous_**.

> I’ll go over this again with the Bushido Code of Honor later on, but this is hugely important. It’s something that Kuwabara not only expects from his gang and his friends in Team Urameshi, but it’s something that he expects of him himself and his enemies. The most important of these to Kuwabara is, first-and-foremost: be a decent human being.
> 
> Respecting others, assisting those in need, acting on impulse to defend the helpless, standing up for those who need someone to stand with them, fighting for just causes, keeping violence where it belongs and with who it belongs,-– this is one of, if not the main cornerstone of Kuwabara’s Code of Honor. 

* * *

Now, the real base of the standards that Kuwabara holds himself to can be directly related to the Bushido Code. Within this code are what is widely known as the Eight Virtues. They can also be tied back to the Knight’s Code of Chivalry (again with chivalry being one of the cornerstones and foundations of Kuwabara's Honor Code)

1.) _**Rectitude**_ \- ' _the power to decide a course of conduct in accordance with reason, without wavering; to die when to die is right, to strike when the answer is to strike–_ ’

> In the Bushido Code of Honor, this is said to be the strongest defining virtue. It could be argued for Kuwabara as well. It’s one of those ‘goes without saying‘ type of virtues. He might act recklessly, but that’s only because he knows for a fact what he believes is right and he knows what his morals are. If those morals coincide with fighting or risky maneuvers, then he will act without hesitation-- call it instinctual. 

2.) **_Courage_** \- ' _courage is exercised in the cause of righteousness and rectitude._ '

> Kuwabara’s drive to jump in at a moment's notice to fight on behalf of someone, in most cases it’s Yusuke, or to fight to prove value in his beliefs and/or the beliefs of the team, can be attributed to courage. To know when to fight, when to die, when to act, when not to– knowing and understanding is one thing, but making the switch from that understanding to a physical acknowledgement and action on its behalf is where courage comes into play. It's the second of Kuwabara’s codes as well as the second virtue in the Bushido Code. 

3.) **_Benevolence / Mercy_** \- ' _love, forgiveness, affection for others, sympathy and pity, are traits of benevolence, the highest attribute of the human soul._ '

> If anyone knows Kuwabara well, they’ll definitely know this is one of the traits that comes naturally to him whether it’s for people who are stronger than him or for those who look to him for protection and safe-keeping. It might be difficult to verbally affirm the feelings that he has for certain people, but being able to act on those feelings and allow them to influence his treatment of others for the better, will always prove to be important to the way he engages with others on an interpersonal level. 

4.) **_Politeness_**

> The description of politeness in the Bushido Code is mainly rooted in the respect and consideration of the emotions and feelings of others. Manners may play a small part, which Kuwabara tends to have a difficult time with, but the consideration of others in order to treat them with the highest form of respect has driven him to make decisions and pursue specific plans of action without judgement. This profound respect is most often, in Kuwabara’s case, reserved for those who are close to him. This, in some cases, still extends to those outside his personal circles. 

5.) _**Honesty / Sincerity**_

> Within the Bushido Code, this applies to the earning and spending of money. Thrifting proves just how far one can go with the resources that they possess. In terms of Kuwabara, he focuses on the sincerity that comes mainly from his open devotion to his Code of Honor. He’s sincere in the fact that he won’t shy away from admitting that something he’s observed or a certain course of action isn’t true to the person he wants to be. This has nothing to do with money and follows along the lines of his own personal conviction. 

6.) **_Honor_** \- ' _a vivid consciousness of personal dignity and worth._ '

> Kuwabara’s worth, while he has yet to figure out what it is, bases his worth on how well he follows his own code. In a way it’s related to conviction, not just his own, but being held accountable by those around him. 

7.) **_Loyalty_**

> Once you find yourself close to Kuwabara, you will not live a day to regret the unspoken pact between you. Those he values will find it damn near impossible to dissuade him from standing in their place for battles or speaking up on their behalf. Their happiness and wellbeing becomes a priority to him above all else. Their hardships become his hardships. Their struggles become struggles he hopes to lighten. Those that he trusts and puts faith in will receive an insane level of dedication from him. Those close to him are closer than even family. Even without blood, the bond that binds him to those he cares deeply for cannot be broken unless their faith and trust in him is brutally severed. There has never been a case like that amongst his peers, so he’ll cross that bridge when he gets to it. 

8.) _**Character / Self-control**_

> These are both the hardest and easiest of the virtues for Kuwabara to implement into his Honor Code. What’s right is right, and what’s wrong is wrong. The difference between good and bad and right and wrong are givens, not arguments subject to discussion or justification, and you should know the difference. Character also leads into Kuwabara’s insistence that he not fight women. He was raised understanding that it was disrespectful to hit women, therefore, he’s included it into his Honor Code.
> 
> The aspect of self-control is one he has the most trouble with. When he isn’t consciously aware of his actions and how his emotions are affecting them, he borderlines breaking his ability to control himself, and it’s where he gets into the most trouble. It's far easier to lose control of his tongue than his body. Most of the time, that loss of control is caused by his issues with anger. 

* * *

Overall, this is the basis for how I feel Kuwabara's Honor Code is set up. It’s not as if he’s written any of this down. All of it is self-taught and he carries it with him as if it’s been burned into his memory. Maybe it’s subconscious and he’s tailored his lifestyle to include these standards and virtues over time. For now, all we know, and all that I’ve thought about, has been that this is something he’s worked on developing and teaching himself so that he can actively model his life around a set of self-established rules to guide him towards being the man he desperately wants to be. 

**Author's Note:**

> As an aside, this isn't 100% confirmed to be true. This is my take on what I've seen and how I perceive it so feel free to take it with a grain of salt. I do, however, find it really cool that there are clear ties between actual codes of ethics from history as well as those around today.


End file.
